Flanger.



No. 792,876, PATENTED JUNE zo, i905'. R. s. BERGER.

PLANGER.

APPLICATION FILED MAIL-23, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WIT/M5555; [NVE/V701? No. 792,376. y PATENTED JUNE zo, 1905.

` E. s. EEEGEE.

ELANGEE.'

APPLICATION FILED MAB,.23,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT S. BERGER, OF WANAKENA, NEW YORK.

FLANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,876, dated June 20, 1905. Application filed March 23, 1905. Serial No. 251,663.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vanakena, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Flanger, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to Hangers for scraping and clearing the rails of a railway roadbed of obstructing matter and other accumulation, such as ice, sleet, snow, &e.; and the object of the invention is to provide a complete Jdanger applieableto any car and in which provision is made for permitting the shoes and their carriers to adjust themselves to the rails, the shoes being so mounted and their supporting connections so constructed and arranged that the shoes are yieldingly sus-- tained in operative position and allowed to rock forward and backward under pressure and also yield inwardly away from the rails, as occasion may require.

A further object of the invention is to make the shoe-carriers reversible as to their angle, so that such angle may be changed to suit the direction in which the car is moving.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as herein fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Hanger embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail section showing the key which holds the adjusting plates. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the shoe-carriers and its adjusting-plate. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the shoe detached.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all iigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the bottom or door of acar, and 2 the usual stringers extending lengthwise thereof, while 3 represents cross-beams extending transversely of the car-bottom and to which the langer of this invention is secured.

Extending downward from the cross-beams 3 are end hangers 4, each having upper and lower cross-bars 5 and 6, respectively. A bed-plate 7 is supported at its ends under the upper cross-bars 5 of said hangers and is further supported about centrally by an intermediate hanger 8, the bed-plate 7 being held by said hangers against vertical movement, but allowed to move endwise, so that the Hanger-shoes connected indirectly therewith may adjust themselves to the rails.

Beneath the bed-plate is a yielding support 9, consisting of a plate about the same size as the bed-plate and pressed downward by cushioning-springs 10, interposed between the bedplate 7 and the yielding support, the ends of said support resting on the lower cross-bars of the hangers 4, as shown, and the downward movement of the support 9 being limited thereby. Secured about centrally to the support 9 is a cross stop-cleat 11, the ends of which project so as to bring up against trusses or brackets 12 under the car-body, thus forming auxiliary means for limiting the downward movement of the support 9. The bedplate 7 is also provided with pendent lugs or ears 13 at opposite sides, which have inturned lips 14, that enter notches 15 in the support 9 and project beneath the support adjacent to the springs 10, thus affording additional means for limiting the degree of separation between the plate 7 and support 9. The plate 7 and support 9 are thus held from relative endwise movement, yet both may move endwise together between the upper and lower crossbars 5 and 6 of the end hangers and also between vertical guide pins or bolts 16, connecting said upper and lower cross-bars.

Connected pivotally at 18 to thelower side ofthe support 9 are adjustable pivot-plates 19. These plates are pivoted at their outer ends, the pivots being braced by straps 20, and the inner free ends of the plates enter between the support 9 and the stop-cleat 11, by which they are held vertically, while capable of adjustment back and forth. The movable ends of the plates 19 are provided with notches 21 to receive a removable key 22, which also passes through openings m the support 9 and cleat 11, the key and notches beerly against the heads of the rails.

ing so disposed that the plates 19 may be swung either forward or backward, as indicated in Fig. 3, to suit the direction in which the car is moving and obtain the proper angular relation between the Hanger-shoes and the rails.

Extending lengthwise of each plate 19 is a journal-pin 23, which forms a hinge-pin for the shoe-carrier, hereinafter described,.and also a guide-pin, on which said carrier slides. rl`he pin 23 is held in suitable bearings 24 on the plate 19 and also passes through eyes or bearings 25 on the upper edge of a Hangershoe carrier 26, which construction allows the carrier to rock forward and backward on the pin 23 and also to slide inward and outward thereon, the carrier being urged outward with a yielding pressure by a spring 27, arranged behind the inner end of the carrier, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. Each carrier 2G is sustained in a vertical position by means of springs 28, located on opposite sides thereof and encircling a pin or bolt 29, which passes through a slot 30 in the carrier and connects the pendent arms 31 of a two-armed bracket 32, secured to the plate 19.

The carrier is formed with a recess or seat for a removable and reversible Hanger-shoe 33, held in place by a pin or bolt 34, insertible in any of several holes 35 in the carrier, thus enabling the shoe to be adjusted in height. The carriers are cut away or notched, as at 36, to [it over the heads of the rails, (shown at 37 It will be seen that the bed-plate and yielding support 9 and all parts connected therewith and carried thereby are bodily movable transversely of the car-bottom to bring the shoes into proper relation to the rails; also, the shoes and their carriers may be set to .ineline forward, so that the shoes will drag prop- It will also be seen that the carriers may rock back and forth and also slide inward and outward and that the carriers and shoes are sustained in their operative positions with a yielding pressure. The shoes and carriers thus take care of themselves automatically and ride over switches, frogs, crossings, guard-rails, and other obstructions and are maintained at all times in correct relation to the rails to scrape and clean the same.

Having described the invention, I claim- 1. A Hanger comprising a bed-plate, a yielding support beneath the bed-plate, hangers in which said plate and support are mounted and which limit the downward movement of the support, [langer shoes connected with the yielding support, and springs interposed between the bed-plate and yielding support.

2. A Hanger comprising a bed-plate, ayielding support beneath the bed-plate, end and intermediate hangers which hold the bed-plate fixed or immovable vertically and permit the support to yield, springs interposed between the plate and support, danger-shoes carried by the support, a stop-cleat on the support, and a truss with which the stop engages and which forms auxiliary means to limit the downward movement of the yielding support.

3. A flanger comprisingabed-plate, a yielding support beneath the bed-plate, stops on one of said members for limiting the downward movement of the yielding su pport, hangers for the bed-plate, springs interposed between the bed-plate and yielding support, and Hanger-shoes carried by the yielding support.

4. Aanger comprisinga bed-plate, ayielding support beneath the bed-plate, hinged shoe-carriers connected with said support, springs for permitting said carriers to yield and swing, and reversible Hanger-shoes detachably connected with the carriers.

5. Aflanger comprisingabed-plate, ayielding support beneath the bed-plate, a hinged shoe-carrier connected with said support, a bracket with arms lying on opposite sides of the carrier, and springs interposed between the carrier and bracket-arms.

6. Alanger comprisingabed-plate, a yielding support beneath the bed-plate, a hinged shoe-carrier connected with said support, a bracket with arms lying on opposite sides of the carrier, a bolt connecting the bracketarms and passing through the carrier, and springs encircling said bolt between the carrier and bracket-arms.

7. Afianger comprisingabed-plate, ayielding support beneath the bed-plate, a hinged spring-sustained shoe-carrier connected with said support and adapted to yield forward and backward, and means for urging said carrier outward toward the rail with a yielding pressure.

8. A Hanger comprisingabed-plate, ayielding support beneath the bed-plate, a shoe-carrier, a combined hinge and guide pin on which the carrier is mounted, and springs which sustain the carrier in operative position and al- IOO IIO

low the same to swing on said pin as a journal and slide on the pin as a guide, for the purpose set forth.

9. A Hanger comprising a bed-plate, a yieldi' ing support beneath the bed-plate, adjustable plates connected to the lower side of the yielddating themselves to the rails, and means for plate and support, and spring sustained fastening` the adjustable plates in such posi- Ranger-shoes carried by the yielding support. IO tions as to hold the shoe-carriers at an angle In testimony whereofl aflx my signature in either forward or back of a line transverse to presence of two witnesses.

the movement of the car. ROBERT S. BERGER.

11. A Hanger comprising a slidable bed- Witnesses:

plate, a yielding support beneath the bed- C. A. RICH,

plate, springs interposed between the bed- THOs. RICE. 

